Handheld gun grants military superhero x-ray vision

It’s not quite the same x-ray vision superheroes have, but it is a step closer and definitely much easier than a whole x-ray machine.

Last week, American Science and Engineering (AS&E), a supplier of innovative x-ray technology announced the release of the MINI Z, a handheld x-ray scanner (a.k.a. gun) that can detect natural threats like drugs, plastic guns, ceramic knives, and explosives.|

(Image via American Science and Engineering)

The portable image scanner has been designed for military and law enforcement groups such as first responders, border control, event security, maritime police, and aviation security.

The gun can see through materials such as fabric, rubber, and aluminum.

This is a first-of-its-kind device that a soldier can use searches of dangerous items by simply running the x-ray gun over the material.

In tests, representatives from AS&E demonstrated the gun by simulating its discovery of items like bricks of drugs and explosives while the images appeared on a Windows-powered tablet PC.

AS&E is the same company that produces some of the large x-ray scanners that you walk through at the airport.

How it works

The MINI Z requires no training to use since anyone can just turn it on, point it, and shoot.

(Image via American Science and Engineering)

 
The backscatter x-rays that are used in the handheld device are not as strong as the ones at a doctor’s office.

Instead of permeating tissue, the photons of a beam hit the surface and scatter. A sensor in the gun can detect this scatter as the x-rays are shot continuously.

Now, military and law enforcement can get multiple views of an object, which in turn offers more of a chance to determine if there is something threatening inside an object.

According to Defense One, it took the company seven years to reduce the size of an x-ray machine to make it handheld and portable.

The MINI Z would cost the military about $50,000 each (about half the cost of a typical x-ray machine.

As for x-ray goggles granting mere humans the superpower of x-ray vision, the company isn’t quite there yet and is unsure if it's possible to shrink the materials down even further to suit such a device.